‘A bunch of losers with no power’: Why Iran’s hardliners won’t win

‘A bunch of losers with no power’: Why Iran’s hardliners won’t win

Author: The Telegraph April 28, 2026 Duration: 43:23

Iran’s regime is facing an existential crisis prompted by the US-Israeli war. 


Despite taking a military battering and the economy being in ruins, Tehran refuses to surrender to Donald Trump. Historian Arash Azizi takes Roland Oliphant and Sophia Yan inside the clash between the regime establishment and the ultra-hardliners who fear their vision of the Islamic Republic will not survive peace.  


He explains why the country’s powerful, IRGC-linked chief negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf is increasingly being attacked in Iranian media and the dilemma facing the Islamic Republic as it looks to make a deal without surrendering the anti-American dogmatism that revolutionaries hold so dear. 


Plus, senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfeld reports from the Strait of Hormuz and Sophia and Roland discuss the significance of the UAE pulling out of OPEC. 


Highlights


  • Arash Azizi on why Iran’s hardliners are a “bunch of losers with no power”
  • How the Iranian regime is facing a choice between reform and destruction 


CONTRIBUTORS:


Roland Oliphant, co-host @rolandoliphant

Sophia Yan, senior foreign correspondent @sophiacyan 

Arash Azizi, author and historian Yale University @arash_tehran 


CONTENT REFERENCED:


Adrian Blomfield: Here in the Strait, Iran’s mosquito fleet renders Trump blockade futile

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/strait-of-hormuz-irans-mosquito-fleet-winning-blockade/


Robert White, Iona Cleave: Trump ‘unlikely to accept’ Iran’s Hormuz deal https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/28/iran-war-live-trump-peace-talks-hormuz-strikes-lebanon/


Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells


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For those trying to understand the complex and rapidly shifting landscape of the Middle East, Iran: The Latest offers essential context. This Telegraph podcast moves beyond the headlines to examine the military, diplomatic, and strategic forces shaping the ongoing tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Hosted by veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey, each episode synthesizes frontline reporting from the paper's award-winning journalists with insightful conversations. You'll hear from specialists in areas like regional security architecture, covert operations, and geopolitical theory, providing a clearer picture of the stakes involved. The analysis considers historical grievances, economic pressures, and potential flashpoints, from proxy conflicts to direct confrontations. It’s a resource for anyone who wants to grasp not just what is happening, but why it matters and what might come next. By drawing on deep sourcing and expert commentary, this podcast delivers a nuanced perspective that is both timely and thoroughly researched, making sense of a critical and often misunderstood arena of global affairs.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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